The Bronx Needs Real Nurses, Not AI!
For Immediate Release: July 1, 2026
Contact: Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
Joseph Celestin | press@nysna.org | 518-776-8337
THE BRONX NEEDS REAL NURSES, NOT AI!
Bronx Nurses Host Town Hall to Sound Alarm on Montefiore Replacing Real Nurses with AI
AI Makes Inroads in Healthcare, Threatening Patient Care and Jobs
Lay Off Plan Will Give Over Private Patient Records to Palantir-Connected Company
Bronx, NY-- Montefiore is planning to lay off real nurses and replace them with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered software. These are nurses who use their decades of bedside experience and clinical judgement to review insurance denials and make sure patients get the care they need covered by insurance.
Replacing real nurses with AI is terrible for workers and the economy in the Bronx. It could also have negative consequences for patients in the Bronx. NYSNA nurses hosted a virtual town hall with directly impacted nurses to discuss Montefiore’s plan, its negative impact on jobs and patient care in the Bronx, and how healthcare practitioners and communities can fight back against untested AI in their hospitals. Community members and elected officials, including City Council Member Shirley Aldebol, joined the town hall.
Marilyn Shuler, RN, a utilization review nurse who is slated to be laid off after working at Montefiore for 39 years, said: “What we want from Montefiore is simple: stop the layoffs, keep a licensed nurse on the final review, use AI to support us instead of replacing us, and sit down with the nurses who actually do this work.”
Shuler is one of 12 nurses that Montefiore intends to replace with AI-powered software. Utilization review nurses read patient charts and make the case for a patient’s insurance company to cover the care a doctor orders. Montefiore is gambling—without evidence—that AI can do a better job. Nurses raised concerns about the potential negative impact on patients. If AI replaces nurses’ clinical judgement, complicated cases may be dropped, and that means a missed diagnosis or a surgery never gets approved.
Nurses at the town hall also raised concerns about the company Montefiore selected. Datavant, a private-equity-backed technology company, has two partnerships with Palantir, the company ICE uses to surveil and deport immigrants. It also has a history of data breaches Nurses expressed concerns about Montefiore outsourcing access to private medical records that could include immigration status, to Datavant.
NYSNA Executive Committee member at Montefiore, Shaiju Kalathil, RN, said: “We are outraged about these layoffs because these dedicated nurses are being replaced by AI. This is a violation of the contract that we recently won by going on strike. It should also concern every practitioner and patient who cares about the future of healthcare and the quality of care they receive.”
City Council member Shirley Aldebol said: “I am calling on Montefiore to stop the layoffs immediately, stop the 45-day displacement clock, and commit to abide by the nurses’ contract by engaging in meaningful discussion about any plans to implement AI or other technology that could replace real nurses or compromise patient care.”
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said: “Artificial intelligence should never replace real human caring from a nurse. The 45,000 members of NYSNA fully support this fight to protect our patients and practice from AI.”
Assembly Member George Alvarez said: "Hospitals that attempt to replace our medical professionals with AI-powered technology are choosing to side with profits over patients. Quality patient care must always come first, especially in communities like the Bronx that already face significant healthcare challenges. As technology continues to evolve, we must ensure that medical professionals with firsthand experience are included in the decisions about artificial intelligence. I stand with NYSNA who have always prioritized the wellbeing of both healthcare workers and the patients they serve."
"Montefiore's decision to replace experienced nurses with AI-powered technology is deeply concerning for both healthcare workers and the patients they serve," said New York State Assembly Member Amanda N. Septimo. "These nurses use years of clinical expertise to help patients overcome insurance denials and access the care they need. Human compassion and medical judgments cannot simply be replaced by software. Technology should support healthcare professionals, not replace them. I stand with the New York State Nurses Association in calling on Montefiore to halt these layoffs, stop the displacement process, and work with frontline nurses to ensure innovation strengthens, not compromises, patient care."
State Senator Nathalia Fernandez said: “Transparency and real engagement with the workers on the front lines should be the standard for any decision that could impact jobs, clinical judgment, or the quality of patient care. As healthcare technology continues to evolve, we must ensure it is used responsibly and never as a shortcut to undermine workers or weaken patient care.”
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The New York State Nurses Association represents approximately 45,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. NYSNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United, AFL-CIO, the country's largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses, with more than 225,000 members nationwide.